Prediction: Manchester United vs Feyenoord

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 11/10

Bookmaker: bet365

Manchester United will be in all sorts of problems unless they defeat high-flying Feyenoord on Thursday evening, with the Red Devils also hoping to get revenge for the 1-0 loss at De Kuip. The Dutch giants have suffered a minor dip in form of late, but they, nonetheless, head to Old Trafford in confident mood.

Manchester United

Even if he had used Thursday night football phrase to wind up the opposition managers, Jose Mourinho was forced to swallow his pride and try to get the most of United’s Europa League campaign, but he hasn’t done too well so far. With two wins from first four group games, the Red Devils sit one point adrift of both Fenerbahce and Feyenoord, and they will face an uphill task if they fail to win Thursday’s match. Premier League campaign obviously remains the priority, but team’s performances on domestic stage also leave a lot to be desired. Man Utd sit six points behind Champions League positions after the 1-1 draw against Arsenal, although we have to be fair and admit that they deserved more from the high-profile match after completely outclassing the Gunners. And having previously defeated Swansea City on the road, it would appear as though the Red Devils have raised their form of late, and there are no doubts they will be looking to produce another promising showing when they face Feyenoord. Manchester United have the opportunity to gain nice momentum ahead of the hectic festive schedule, although with the West Ham clash just three days away, Jose Mourinho will also be looking to rest some of his star players.

Team News

The situation at the back has improved with Antonio Valencia returning into action and Matteo Darmian producing a good performance on his third Premier League start.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Morgan Schneiderlin should finally get a chance to shine, but Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly are out injured.

Feyenoord

Despite boasting one of Europe’s leading youth academies, Feyenoord have struggled to match the likes of Ajax and PSV Eindhoven in recent years, mostly because the squad lacked some experience to compete with their arch rivals. Current head coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst recognised the problem and added players like Karim El Ahmadi, Dirk Kuijt, Eljero Elia and Nicolai Jorgensen to his ranks, and that has made all the difference. Feyenoord in turn enjoyed a remarkable start to the 2016/2017 season, climbing to the top of the Eredivisie standings, while also impressing in the Europa League. And despite suffering several setbacks on domestic stage, the De Kuip outfit are two and six points clear of Ajax and PSV in the league standings, while they are in a good position to secure their place in the Europa League last 32 stage. Feyenoord have now returned to winning ways following a run of three games without victory, and the 3-0 triumph over PEC Zwolle should give them confidence ahead of the all-important clash at Old Trafford. The problem is that the Dutch giants have only won one of last 12 EL games on the road (D3 L8), so it goes without saying they would be quite happy with one point from Thursday’s match.

Team News

Feyenoord have got some important missings heading into the Man Utd game, as key midfielder Karim El Ahmadi has remained in Netherlands as he has only just recovered from a foot injury.

Brazilian defender Eric Botteghin misses out through suspension, whereas full-back Terence Kongolo is sidelined with a hamstring problem.

Key Factors to Consider

• Both teams scored in Man Utd’s last three fixtures
• Feyenoord lost 8 of last 12 EL games on the road (W1 D3)
• Feyenoord won the reverse fixture 1-0
• Man Utd had won the previous two meetings (2-1, 1-3)
• The Red Devils won three of last four EL matches at home (D1)

Conclusion

Manchester United have been raising their form of late and with Jose Mourinho set to field a strong side, the Red Devils stand a good chance of winning this game. However, Feyenoord have played some very good football this term and we expect them to score at Old Trafford.

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best Odds: 11/10

Bookmaker: bet365